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David Cameron announces concessions on Syrian child refugees

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PM climbs down, saying he will not stand in way of amendment for UK to take in unaccompanied children already in Europe. David Cameron has given in to calls for the UK to accept unaccompanied refugee children from Greece, Italy and France in a bid to avoid defeat in the House of Commons. (The Guardian)

The prime minister climbed down in the face of a growing rebellion among Conservative MPs who were preparing to back an amendment by Labour peer Lord Dubs. Confirming the U-turn, Cameron paid tribute to Dubs, who came to Britain as a refugee through the Kindertransport and had led the campaign for the UK to take 3,000 unaccompanied children from camps within Europe.
Dubs’s first attempt was voted down by Conservative MPs, but the peer resubmitted the amendment without a specific figure included and this will now be accepted by the government. Downing Street could not say how many child refugees would be accepted under the new plans but a spokesman said the government would consult with councils about accepting under-16s who registered as unaccompanied refugees in Europe before 20 March. Read more here